National holidays in Cusco

The national holidays of Peru are celebrated every 28th of July, recalling the declaration of Independence in Lima by Don José de San Martin, in 1821. The Peruvian man and especially the Andean man, have a deep artistic and religious influence, This is expressed in dances and celebrations on important dates such as national holidays. In the city of Cusco different celebrations and events are held for the anniversary of Independence, in which dances, culture, parades and gastronomy are intermingled.

1. Dances

The department of Cusco has thirteen provinces, each of them expressing a peculiar and different type of dance and dress during the parades for national holidays. These parades are held in the main square of Cusco, where people gather around it to appreciate the dancers. Among the most important choreographies we have the following dances:

• Mestiza Coyacha, It is typical of the province of Paucartambo, the word Quechua ‘Qoyacha’ means ‘queen’ or ‘sovereign’ and this dance represents the intricate and sometimes inexplicable courtship rituals.
• Negritos, according to the legend in the time of the viceroyalty, slaves were given the chance to be free between December 24th and January 6th, and these, by way of retribution for this 'kindness' of their patrons, visited the houses with the most luxurious births. In this dance the dancers wear black masks.
• Capac Chuncho, It is said that this dance represents the warriors of Kosñipata, one of the jungle provinces of the Cusco region.
• Ukukus, in this dance there are no groups or couples, the dancers wear a white mask that covers their face.
• Jilgueros, in this dance a man is represented on the one hand who is in search of conquering, courting or seducing, and on the other side is the lady, who still does not decide whether or not to accept the proposal of the man. At the rhythm of the dance the dancer sings to the girl: ‘there are many girls like you, do not think that I will beg you’ to which the girl responds: ‘… there are many proposals for me, you are only one more’. This dance is characterized by its mischief and joy.

2. Gastronomy Festivals

During the national holidays gastronomic events are also held in the city of Cusco, where you can taste the best of local cuisine:

• Chiriuchu, a Quechua word that means cold and spicy food, is a dish that is only served at parties or very important dates. Among its many ingredients we can find the roasted guinea pig, the squash torreja, the chicken, the chorizo, the charki, the cochayuyo or seaweed, among others. A feature of this dish is that all the ingredients are served cold.
• Another of the traditional dishes of Cusco is called ‘Lechon’ which is tender pork meat that is served with chuños or tamales from Cusco.
• Tamales from Cusco, made with fresh white corn, stuffed with meat (salty) or raisins (sweet). They are sold throughout the year and is one of the most representative meals of Cusco.
• Adobo, traditional local pork soup, also contains onion, aji panca and chicha de jora.
• Kapchi de Zetas, this soup made with wild mushrooms, known as zetas, is characterized by being served with yellow potatoes, lima beans and rice.
• Chairo, this soup contains multiple ingredients and one of its main characteristics is that it allows the body to quickly recover heat, so its consumption is widespread in the cold Andean regions. Among its ingredients we have lamb meat, chuño flour, yellow or white potato, beans, among others.
• Corn with cheese, did you know that the largest corn in Peru, the so-called 'giant corn' is only produced in a region of Peru, the Sacred Valley of the Incas and this is sold regularly during the celebrations, accompanied for a generous piece of cheese.

3. Parades

During the celebrations of national holidays, different institutions, schools and organizations in Cusco pay tribute to Peru by presenting dances or special ceremonies.
Secondary schools, for example, hold a contest to choose the best choreography and the different delegations of Schools compete hard to win the prize.

4. Militar Parade

The Peruvian army also joins the celebrations for the celebrations of the country, usually on July 29th the traditional Military Parade is carried out on the Av. De la Cultura in Cusco. In this military parade you can see the tanks, combat trucks as well as the special divisions of the army such as amphibious units, paratroopers, infantry units and much more.

As you can see, during the national holidays the Cusco region dresses up to honor the homeland and exhibit the best of its traditions, cuisine and dances. A date that you cannot miss and that you can take advantage with the help of miticketmachupicchu and its experienced team of tourism professionals.